It Could Happen to You

Chet Baker - It Could Happen To You (1958) {Riverside Japan VICJ-41544, Paper Sleeve rel 2006}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 242 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 104 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 24 Mb | 5% repair rar | 20 bit K2
© 1958, 2006 Riverside / Victor Japan | VICJ-41544
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Trumpet

A classic album from Chet – and one that's got a perfect mix of vocal and instrumental moments, of the sort you don't find easily on other albums! Chet plays trumpet and sings, and is backed by Kenny Drew, Sam Jones, and Philly Joe Jones – a different style of group from his west coast years, but one that helps give the record a fresher sound too! Tracks are still shortish, with those breathy Baker vocals we love so much.

Chet Baker - Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen To You (1958) {OJC Remasters Complete Series rel 2010, item 13of33}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 309 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 124 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 125 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24-bit remaster
© 1958, 2010 Riverside / Concord | 0888072323292
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Vocal Jazz / Trumpet

An extension of the popular Original Jazz Classics series (est. 1982), the new OJC Remasters releases reveal the sonic benefits of 24-bit remastering-a technology that didn't exist when these titles were originally issued on compact disc. The addition of newly-written liner notes further enhances the illuminating quality of the OJC Remasters reissues. "Each of the recordings in this series is an all-time jazz classic," says Nick Phillips, Vice President of Jazz and Catalog A&R at Concord Music Group and producer of the series.

The ultra-hip and sophisticated "cool jazz" that Chet Baker (trumpet/vocals) helped define in the early '50s matured rapidly under the tutelage of producer Dick Bock. This can be traced to Baker's earliest sides on Bock's L.A.-based Pacific Jazz label. This album is the result of Baker's first sessions for the independent Riverside label. The Chet Baker Quartet featured on Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen to You includes Kenny Drew (piano), Sam Jones (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). (Performances by bassist George Morrow and drummer Dannie Richmond are featured on a few cuts.) This results in the successful combination of Baker's fluid and nonchalant West Coast delivery with the tight swinging accuracy of drummer Jones and pianist Drew…

Close to You is one of Frank Sinatra's most gentle and intimate albums, and that is due in no small part to the Hollywood String Quartet, which forms the core of the album's instrumental support. It also was one of the most difficult to record, taking eight months and five different sessions. Certainly, it is one of the most unusual and special of Sinatra's albums, featuring a subdued and detailed performances that accentuate both the romantic longing and understated humor of the numbers, which are mainly torch songs. With the quartet's support, the album comes closer to sounding like a classical album, like a pop variation on chamber music. Where the intimacy of In the Wee Small Hours sounded confessional and heart-broken, Close to You has a delicate, lovely quality; it may not be seductive, but it is charming and romantic.

Two of Clooney's late-'50s/early-'60s RCA Victor albums on one CD. Clap Hands! Here Comes Rosie! is an upbeat session from 1960 on which Clooney, superbly fronting a band conducted by Bob Thompson, tackles standards like "Give Me the Simple Life," "Bye Bye Blackbird," and "Makin' Whoopee." Fancy Meeting You Here is a 1958 duet album with Bing Crosby on which the duo runs through a set of place-themed songs ("Calcutta," "Hindustan," "It Happened in Monterey") with a band splendidly conducted by Billy May. Two of Rosie's best on one disc - a real bargain.